Bottle cap



Nov. 17. 1953 YUE SAN FONG BOTTLE CAP Filed Sept. 2, 1949 INVENTOR.

YUE SAN FON G Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLECAP Yue San Fong, Hong Kong, China Application September 2, 1949, SerialNo. 113,743

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to bottle caps, and more particularly to aresilient, spring-locking cap which can be applied to and removed fromthe neck or spout of a bottle or other container, as may be desired.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved bottlecap having a metallic shell and a bottle-contacting lining of resilientmaterial which will provide a tight seal with the bottleneck withoutdamage to the bottle, which cap is released by pressure manually appliedto the top near the center thereof and engaged with a bottle by pressureapplied to the rim portion thereof, which is permanently connected tothe bottle or other container against accidental loss or misplacement,and which is simple, strong and durable in construction, economical tomanufacture, neat and attractive in appearance, and easy to use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claim in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bottle cap illustrative of theinvention, a portion being broken away to better illustrate theconstruction thereof;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the cap illustrated in Figure 1 showingthe cap operatively mounted on a bottleneck;

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, the cap beingshown in open position in broken lines;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a somewhat modified formof bottle cap; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawing, the cap comprises, in general,an outer shell ID of thin sheet metal, a lining H of resilient material,such as natural or synthetic rubber or cork, a locking ring l2 adaptedto be mounted on the neck it of the bottle near the open end of thelatter, a clamp ring it also mountable on the bottleneck, a bracket l5connected to the cap, and a hinge construction It pivotally connectingthe bracket IE to the clamp ring M.

The shell I0 is formed of thin sheet metal of a resilient character andcomprises a top disc ii having at its center an upstanding boss is onthe outer end of which is formed an annularly-projecting knob or buttonI9. The shell also includes an annular flange 20 peripherallysurrounding the disc I! and extending therefrom in a direction oppositethe boss I8. This flange is severed by substantially parallel cuts 2|spaced apart at substantially equal intervals around the flange toprovide a plurality of spring fingers surrounding the top wall or discI! of the cap, and each of these fingers is provided, at its endopposite the top wall 81, with an inwardly-projecting, upset portion 22providing a detent engageableunder the locking ring [2.

The disc or top wall i! has a somewhat domeshaped formation and, becauseof its resiliency, will assume a concave or a convex condition disposedat respectively-opposite sides of a plane, including the rim of the cap,somewhat in the manner of a Bellville spring,

The liner H is provided with a concentric flange or boss 23 which isdimensioned to fit closely in the neck 13- of a bottle and with acircumferential bead or flange 24 which exteriorly surrounds thebottleneck at the open end thereof. This liner includes a thicknessdisposed between the end of the bottleneck and the cap disc I! and alsofills the boss l8 and the knob l9.

When pressure is exerted on the top of the knob IS, the top wall or discI! is sprung downwardly to a concave condition and the flange fingers 25are swung outwardly at their ends opposite the disc I! removing thedetents 22 from engagement with the locking ring l2, so that the cap isreleased and can be removed from the bottleneck. By applying pressure tothe outer portion of the top wall or disc IT, or to the rim of the cap,the top wall is sprung from its concave position, illustrated in Figure3, to its convex position, illustrated in Figure 2, and the springfingers 25 are moved inwardly to engage the detents 22 under the lockingring l2 to lock the cap in closing position on the neck of the bottle.

The locking ring I2 may be a piece of wire of proper diameter andpreferably of corrosionresisting material, such as stainless steel,drawn around the neck of the bottle near the open end of the bottleneckand preferably seated in a shallow groove provided in the exterior surface of the bottleneck near the open end of the latter.

The clamp ring 14 may also be a piece of wire of suitable diameter andalso preferably of cor,- rosion-resisting material seated in an annulargroove provided in the outer surface of the bottleneck, the groove beinillustrated as provided in the outer side of an annular head 25 surerounding the bottleneck adjacent the shallow groove in which the lockingring 12 is seated.

A structure including a pair of spaced-apart, apertured ears 2'! and 28is secured to the bottleneck by the clamping ring I4 and the bracketcomprises a piece of wire of substantially semicircular shape curved ona radius slightly greater than the radius of the top wall I! of the capshell. This bracket is passed through the apertured lugs 21 and 23 andis attached at its opposite ends to the flange of the cap shell atdiametrically-opposed locations on such flange by having its endsprojected through beads 29 formed in the spring fingers 25 at suchlocations. The bracket 15 pivotally connects the cap to the bottleagainst accidental loss or misplacement, and a torsion springsurrounding the bracket between the lugs 27 and 28 is inter-connectedbetween the lugs and the bracket in a manner to resiliently urge the capto a position in which it covers the open end of the bottleneck.

In the somewhat modified arrangement illustrated in Figures i and 5 thecap assembly comprises, in general, a thin metal shell 3|, a liner 32 ofresilient material in the shell, a locking ring 33 adapted to surroundthe bottleneck near the open end of the latter, a hinge bracket 34connected between the cap and this lockin ring, and a locking bracket 35pivotally connected to the cap and releasably engageable with thelooking ring to releasably lock the cap in bottle-closing position.

The cap shell 3| is made of thin, somewhat resilient sheet metal and hasa somewhat convex top Wall or disc 35 provided at its center with araised boss 3'! of elongated, rectangular shape. A cylindrical flange 38peripherally surrounds the top wall 36 and extends to one side thereofand this flange is divided by substantially parallel cuts 39 spacedapart at substantially equal angular intervals into an annular series ofspring fingers 40 having inwardly-directed upset portions 4| at theirends opposite the top wall 36.

The liner 32 is formed of resilient material, such as rubber, syntheticrubber or cork, and has an inner cylindrical boss or flange 42 whichclosely fits the inside of the bottleneck at the open end of the neckand an outer flange 43 which fits in the annular flange 38 of the capshell and closely surrounds the outer surface of the bottleneck near theopen end of the latter.

The bracket or bail 34 is substantially semicircular in shape and has asubstantially straight bight portion 45 which extends through and ispivoted in the boss 31 on the cap top wall 36. The arcuately-shaped legsof this bracket extend around the bottleneck and from the cap to thelocking ring 33 and are respectively provided at their ends with eyes 46and 41.

The locking ring 33 has its end portions directed outwardly away fromeach other to provide pins 38 and 49 respectively received in the eyes45 and 41 to pivotally connect the bail 34 to the locking ring 33. Thetwo ends of the locking ring are secured together by a wrap or ring ofwire secured around the outwardly-projecting end portions of the ring.

A torsion spring 5l surrounds the longer pin 48 and is connected at oneend to the locking ring, and at its other end to the bail 34 toresiliently urge the bail in a direction to remove the cap from the neckof the bottle.

The locking bracket or bail 35 is also of semicircular shape and has asubstantially straight bight 52 extending through and pivoted in theboss 31. Two arcuately-shaped legs extend from the respectively-oppositeends of the bight 52 around the bottleneck and toward the lockin ring33, and each of the legs is formed, near its distal end, with a hook 53which engages under the locking ring, as illustrated in Figure 4, tosecure the cap in bottle-closing position. Between the hooks 53 the twolegs of the ball 35 are joined together and shaped to provide a loop ortab 54 which provides a finger grip for removing the hooks 53 fromengagement with the locking ring 33.

Substantially at its mid-length position the bight 52 is provided with aU-shaped formation 55 which is located in a cut-away portion of the boss31, and a small, flat spring 58 is secured to the top wall 36 of the capshell and underlies the U-shaped formation 55 to resiliently urge thebail 35 in a direction to displace the hooks 53 outwardly from thelocking ring 33. Thus, pressure may be applied to the top of the cap torelieve the force between the hooks 53 and the locking ring 33,whereupon the spring 53 will move the bracket or bail 35 in a directionto dis-engage the hooks 53 from the looking ring and free the cap forremoval from the end of the bottle. When the cap is freed, the torsionspring 5| will move the bail 34 in a direction to carry the cap to itsopen position.

The locking ring 33 may be secured in a shallow groove formed in theouter surface of the bottleneck, but is preferably located at the sideof an annular bead 5'! remote from the open end of the bottleneck whichbead holds the locking ring against movement relative to the neck of thebottle.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

A bottle cap comprising an outer shell of resilient sheet materialincluding a top disk of concavo-convex shape and a skirt including aplurality of spring fingers extending marginally around said disk andsubstantially perpendicularly from one side thereof, said skirt beingcircumferentially contracted when the convexity of said disk extends ina direction away from said skirt and circumferentially expanded when theconvexity of said disk extends in a direction toward said skirt and saiddisk being deflected from its skirt contracting to its skirt expandingshape by pressure on the central portion of the side thereof remote fromsaid skirt and from its skirt expanding to its skirt contracting shapeby pressure on the marginal portion of the side thereof remote from saidskirt, a hollow knob projecting from the central portion of the side ofsaid disk remote from said skirt to facilitate application of skirtexpanding pressure to said disk, and a liner of elastic material securedin said outer shell and including a wall disposed against the side ofsaid top disk from which said skirt extends, an annular boss extendingfrom the side of said wall remote from said top disk and adapted to fitinto the open end of an associated bottle neck, an annular flangeprojecting from said wall and circumspatially surrounding 5 said annularboss in engagement with the inner side of said skirt, said flange beingadapted to fit around the end portion of a bottle neck disposed betweensaid boss and said flange, and an extension on said top wall fillingsaid hollow knob and securing said liner in said outer shell.

YUE SAN FONG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberNumber 6 Name Date Parr Mar. 8, 1915 Dwyer Aug. 21, 1917 Holdsworth Mar.11, 1919 Roberts July 13, 1920 Garcia Nov. 28, 1933 Schulman Aug. 6,1935 Leahey Jan. 26, 1937 Koscherak May 9, 1939 Murdock Oct. 15, 1940Fender Apr. 15, 1941 Tilson Oct. 30, 1945

